BackLegal updates: SC to hear validity of entry tax on goods levied by states
Other cases to be heard today include a plea alleging paper leak in NEET and alleged irregularities in clinical trials of cervical cancer vaccines
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New Delhi: Mint brings to you your daily dose of legal news. A look at some interesting issues that are likely to be taken up on Tuesday.
Constitutionality of entry tax
A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court will continue hearing a question of validity of entry tax levied by state governments on goods. Several companies, including Vedanta Aluminium Ltd, Essar Steel Ltd, Tata Steel Ltd and Adani Enterprises Ltd contended that the entry tax provisions violate the right to free trade and commerce, guaranteed under the Constitution. Read more
NEET: Plea alleging paper leak
The apex court is set to hear a plea asking the court to intervene and seek a status report into the allegations that questions of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medical colleges were leaked. The apex court was responsible for the first NEET to happen this year in two phases. Read more
Alleged irregularities in clinical trials of cervical cancer vaccines
The Supreme Court will hear a case relating to alleged irregularities in clinical trials conducted for cervical cancer prevention vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, manufactured by pharmaceuticals major Merck Sharpe and Dohme, respectively. The case was stuck in a limbo since January last year after the court had asked the government to place before the court the report of parliamentary standing committee on health and family welfare. A question whether the court can review a report of the parliamentary standing committee is also under question.
Govt petition against Sesa Sterlite merger
The apex court will hear a bunch of cases related to the merger between iron ore miner Sesa Goa Ltd and copper producer Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd, earlier called Sesa Sterlite Ltd (now Vedanta). The ministry of corporate affairs, which first moved the court in 2014, contended that the merger was designed to evade taxes. The income-tax department also joined the case later. The court agreed to hear the case in detail in January 2015. Read more
Prasar Bharati feed sharing case
The Supreme Court will also hear the case regarding mandatory feed sharing by private broadcasters with state-run Prasar Bharati. Under the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, broadcasters are required to compulsorily share signals of sporting events of national importance with the public broadcaster. However, private broadcasters like Star India, who have made significant investments for the rights to broadcast, seek exemption from sharing these signals with private cable operators. Read more
Plea seeking app-based taxis to switch to CNG
The Delhi high court will hear a case brought by the Association of Radio Taxi, bringing to the court’s notice that Ola is plying diesel vehicles in Delhi in violation of Supreme Court orders, the Radio Taxi Scheme, 2006 and City Taxi Scheme of 2015. Read more: https://bit.ly/2b96Px7
On 29 July 2015, justice Manmohan Singh of the Delhi high court directed strict enforcement of the 1 January state government order banning app-based cab services until they complied with the guidelines.
From time to time, the court’s orders were sought to be enforced. On 14 October 2015, the court extended the companies a breather and allowed them to ply diesel-run taxis from point to point in the national capital till 1 March 2016, by when they will have to shift completely to compressed natural gas (CNG). Read more
Since then, companies such as Meru and Ola have been seeking extension from the court to fully effect the conversion to CNG.
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